The Hermitage Museum

Hermitage Museum Licensed Guides Available		The Hermitage Museum		First-time visitors to Saint Petersburg... you must see it.
Meet The Guides Select your guide or read some background info on them. View their customer feedback. Click here. Arrange Airport Pick-up Avoid the airport taxi service and have one of our drivers waiting for you. Your guide can also be waiting for you at the airport. Click here. Rent A Cell Phone. A cell phone can be delivered to you when you arrive at the airport. Click here. Check hotel reviews Get an American's perspective. Ed Ryder has been to nearly every hotel in the city. Contact Us: russianguidenet@mail.ru Go To Hotel Reviews See What Our Customers Say About Us Cruise Ship Passenger Info Meet The Guides If your dream is to visit the Hermitage, perhaps an off-season visit would be better for you, when there are no large crowds. The last big cruise ship leaves in early September. For more Hermitage information, visit their official website: www.hermitage.ru For opera/ballet lovers, here is the Mariinsky Theater website: http://www.mariinsky.ru/en For questions/assistance or travel information for Saint Petersburg, contact Lena Morozova at russianguidenet@mail.ru Response time is a maximum of 24 hours and often much faster.		The Hermitage Museum must be Saint Petersburg's most popular tourist destination. I was shocked by the quantity of tourists visiting this museum during my visit to the city in July 2002. Compared to my last summer visit to Saint Petersburg - in June/July 2000, there were far more tourists this time. And many more tourist buses. The Hermitage is open from 10:30am until 6:00pm with the last tickets sold at 5:00pm. The museum is closed on Mondays. It may not look that big, but this museum is huge! The extravagance of the interior is often jaw dropping. What an incredible building... To come to Saint Petersburg and not see the Hermitage would be a regretful mistake. It must be seen. Even if you are not into art, you still must go simply to see the incredible rooms. The Hermitage is Russia's largest museum with 3,000,000 pieces. It is located in the heart of the city along the scenic Neva River. Outside is Palace Square with the unusual Alexander Column - the world's largest free-standing monument of its kind. In the early 1800s it took 2000 men to erect it. I have no idea how they were able to do it, as it is a massive piece of stone. Surrounding Palace Square is the General Staff Building. A passage in the middle of it leads to Nevsky Prospect - the city's main downtown street. To the west is the massive Saint Isaac's Cathedral. To the east you will find a canal street to walk along. Across the river are the Rostral Columns, which, besides functioning as lighthouses, were built to intimidate the Swedes. And a short distance from there is the very interesting SS Peter & Paul Fortress, plus a zoo, a nice park area, and amusement rides. Closest Hotels: J Angleterre J Astoria K Composers Union Hotel J Grand Hotel Europe - excellent facility K Herzen University Hotel J Korona Guest Center L Nauka Hotel Complex LLL (It's awful.) J Admiral Hotel J Arcadia Hotel K B & B Nevsky K Bed N Breakfast Hotel J Central Inn Mini Hotel J Comfort Mini-Hotel J Pushka Inn - superb location J Renaissance Hotel - excellent facility The Next Closest Hotels: J Hotel Piter J Radisson SAS Royal Hotel J Corinthia Nevskij Palace J Helvetia Suites J Oktiabrskaya Hotel Branch J Anabel Mini-Hotel J Columb Mini-Hotel J Mechta Mini Hotel J Nevsky 90/92 J Polikoff Business Hotel J Prestige Sport Hotel J Shelfort Mini-Hotel And The Next Closest: J Hotel Moscow J Saint Petersburg Hotel J Arbat Nord Hotel J Best Western Hotel Neptun J Hotel Dostoevsky - excellent facility J 5th Corner Business Hotel J Grand Hotel Emerald - excellent facility J Idillia Hotel J Iskra Mini-Hotel J Neva Hotel J Nevsky 91 J Onore Mini-Hotel J Prestige Hotel J Rinaldi Mini-Hotels J Toaz Hotel Hire Your Own Guide Home		Summer time at the Hermitage. July 18th 2002 was a very busy day at the Hermitage. Some chose to relax by the fountain. In winter time, there's nobody here. In summer, the cruise ships play a large part in the large crowds that arrive here. Buses in Palace Square Just a small portion of many tourist buses parked near the Hermitage. 5 ©